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Showing posts sorted by date for query soul nebula. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query soul nebula. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Mosaic image gets large, 400 hours and 41 panels


Nine years and over 350 hours of exposures, 41 panels and 31 high resolution sub-panels stitched together seamlessly. This mosaic image spans about 45 x 18 degrees of sky, the original resolution is 14.000 x 41.000 pixels.

Previous version of this mosaic image can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/12/from-cassiopeia-to-cepheus-eight-years.html

From cassiopeia to Cepheus
Click for a full size image, it's really worth it! (3700 x 1400 pixels)


Image is in mapped colors from a light from the ionized elements, hydrogen = green, sulfur = red and oxygen = blue. NOTE, there is an image of the Moon at the same scale in lower left corner.
The heart and Soul nebulae are at upper left corner and the IC 1396 with the Elephant's Trunk Nebula at center right. There are many well known objects in this massive mosaic image including the Bubble and Cave Nebulae at just a little right from the center. 
There are about six million stars in this composition.



Orientation
Click for a full size image




Evolution of the mosaic image shot between 2012 - 2021
Click for a full size image


Equipments

I have used several optical configurations for this mosaic image during the years. Up to 2014 I was using an old Meade LX200 GPS 12" scope, QHY9 astrocam, Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera optics and baader narrowband filter set. After 2014 I have had 10-micron 1000 equatorial mount, Apogee Alta U16 astro camera, Tokina AT-x 200mm f2.8 camera lens and the Astrodon 50mm square narrowband filter set. I have shot many details with a longer focal length, before 2014 by using Meade 12" scope with reducer and after 2014 Celestron EDGE 11" and reducer. Quider camera has been Lodestar and Lodestar II.


Some reduced size details from the full size mosaic image

Sharpless 132



IC 1396



Supernova remnant CTB1



Sharpless 124


From Bubble to Cave Nebula



Saturday, April 11, 2015

All my new astronomical photos from the Winter season 2014-15

My humble thanks to the supporters, they made my work possible at this Winter season!
First class products and service

This is a collection of my photos from the past Winter season. We are now out of astronomical darkness for about six months due to high latitude, 65N. As every time, it's hard to give up imaging the beauty of the deep sky.

The season was very cloudy too. We had over three months a solid cloud cover this winter and clear nights just now and then. The good side is, that I have been forced to develop new imaging and processing methods to be able to finalise maximum number of photos. The "Tone mapping" method and a new unpublished "VARES" (Variable Resolution imaging method) are very powerful tools for astrophotography. I'll publish the VARES.method in a year or so, after I have tested it well enough.

All of my photos are taken from a light polluted downtown.

A closeup from my last image of the season, IC 1805, the Heart nebula
Click for a large image, 1400 x 1900 and ~2MB
Melotte 15 is a small part of the large mosaic image


A poster format collection from all of my photos from Winter 2014-15
Be sure to click for a large image, 2500 x 4000 pixels and 8MB

Astro Anarchy Observatory Winter 2014-2015


Images in the poster above, from upper left to lower right


  1. NGC 2175, The Monkey Head Nebula, a blog post HERE
  2. NGC 1491, a blog post HERE
  3. Messier 13, a blog post HERE
  4. Messier 3, a blog post HERE
  5. IC 417,  a blog post HERE
  6. Pelican Nebula mosaic, a blog post HERE
  7. IC 443 SNR, a blog post HERE
  8. Cederblad 214, a blog post HERE
  9. Soul Nebula, IC 1848 mosaic, a blog post HERE
  10. IC 410, a blog post HERE
  11. The Propeller Nebula, a blog post HERE
  12. IC 1805, The Heart Nebula,  a blog post HERE
  13. The Great Wall of Cygnus, a blog post HERE
  14. NGC 1795, a blog post HERE
  15. The Tulip Nebula, Sh2-101, a blog post HERE  NASA APOD
  16. Sharpless 115 & Apell 71 PN, a blog post HERE
  17. Pickering's Triangle in O-III light only, a blog post HERE
  18. Sharpless 132, Sh2-132, a blog post HERE
  19. IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula, a blog post HERE
  20. Abell 85 (CTB1) SNR, a blog post HERE
  21. Sharpless objects 232, 231, 233 and 235, a blog post HERE
  22. NGC 281, a blog post HERE


Some highlights of the season past


Supporters, my humble thanks to the supporters, they made my work possible once again!
This setup was possible due to great support!
The new imaging system. Some image quality analysis can be seen HERE

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014, Royal Observatory of Greenwich, third place.
Over 2500 images from 51 countries participated.

  • I also got one NASA APOD published (Astronomy Picture Of the Day) at November 15, the Tulip nebula.
NASA publication, Sh2-101, the Tulip Nebula


  • Suomen Kuvalehti wrote a large article at the last issue of the year 2014 about my photographing, eleven pages total. (SK 51-52 19.12.2014, pages 1 and 42-51)




California Nebula as an experimental 3D-model
In constellation Perseus


This is a looped video, click to start and stop. This is an experimental test with a 3D-conversion of my astronomical images. Only real elements from my original image are used, there is nothing added but the volumetric information!

I was invited as one of the speakers at the NEAIC conferenceNew York, Spring 2014. 

Two large public artworks from my photos get revealed at 2014. A very large, over 10 x 3m, photographic print on aluminium "Cirrus of Cygnus" and the "Path of Swans", 4 x 2m, on aluminium. Beside public works, many of my photos ended up to a private homes.
Path of Swans, 4x2m

Cirrus of Cygnus 10x3m, the large mosaic image is a very sharp even in this scale.

  • I participated to two art exhibitions with my astronomical photos, one in Helsinki and another here in Oulu. 
3D-exhibition in Helsinki, large anaglyph photos, paintings and a movie.

Sale exhibition in Oulu

One of the most interesting tasks at 2014 was a cooperation with the vocal ensemble Cappella pro Vocale. This cross art production was a mixture of an old vocal music and the astronomical images. The production  took place at the church of  St Thomas. My photos get  projected with three powerful projectors on walls and sealing and everything was matched with the music carefully.  
Projected images in church of St Thomas, image copyright Tuula Jurvelin

Image copyright Antti Nevalainen

Image copyright Jaakko Nurro

Image copyright Jaakko Nurro


  • Optikfestival in Skara, Sweden


Interior of the shop, they have a large stock of products on site.

I had a pleasure to be invited as one of the speakers in "Optikfestival Skara", Sweden. The happening was organized by a Astrosweden, a largest optics retailer in Sweden. They are specialized to Astronomy, nature photography, hunting and microscopy. I was really impressed by the passion and knowledge they have about the the optics! 

  • An exhibition in Galleria Kajaste, Oulu, Finland








Friday, April 10, 2015

My last imaging project for this Winter season, a high resolution mosaic image of the Heart Nebula


We are now out of astronomical darkness for about six months due to high latitude, 65N. As every time, it's hard to give up imaging the beauty of the deep sky.

IC 1805, the Heart Nebula is my last imaging project for this season. It's a very high resolution, six panels mosaic image. Image is shot between 20. February and 21. March, total exposure time is 49h. Original size is about 11.000 x 9000 pixels at the scale of one arcsecond/pixel.

IC 1805
Be sure to click for a high resolution photo, 2300x1900 pixels and 3MB

Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum. A higher resolution version can be seen HERE


Image in mapped colors
Click for a high resolution photo, 2300x1900 pixels and 3MB

Image is in mapped colors from an emission of  the ionized elements. Golden areas are from emission of sulfur and hydrogen, S-II and H-alpha, blueish areas are from ionized oxygen, O-III.


Closeups from the mosaic
Click for a higher resolution

IC 1795

This image was published at March 31, 2015. Blog post about it can be seen HERE


The heart of the Heart, Melotte 15
Click for a higher resolution

This part of the mosaic image was published at March 9, 2015. Blog post about it can be seen HERE


IC 1805 in light of an ionized hydrogen, H-alpha, alone.

Click for a higher resolution






INFO

This high resolution photo of the IC 1805, the Heart nebula, is a six panel mosaic. (Original size is about 11.000 x 9000 pixels at the scale of one arcsecond/pixel.) It shows many details in the IC 1805, like the Melotte 15 at the heart of the Heart Nebula. Total exposure time for this narrowband photo is 49h.

The "Heart Nebula", IC 1805 locates about 7500 light years away in constellation Cassiopeia. This is an emission nebula showing glow of ionized elements in a gas cloud and some darker dust lanes.In a very center of the nebula, lays Melotte 15, it contains few very bright stars, nearly 50 times mass of our Sun, and many dim ones. The solar wind, a radiation pressure, from massive stars makes the gas twist to a various shapes.


Orientation in a wide field photo

The Heart Nebula, IC 1805, at right. The Soul Nebula, IC 1848, can be seen at left.


The Soul Nebula, IC 1848

My previous imaging project from this area was a two frame mosaic photo of the Soul Nebula at last Autumn season, it can be seen HERE

Click for a large image



Technical details

Processing work flow

Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 33 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.

Imaging optics
Celestron Edge HD 1100 @ f7 with 0,7 focal reducer for Edge HD 1100 telescope

Mount
10-micron 1000

Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x2 and SXV-AOL

Astrodon filter, 5nm H-alpha
Astrodon filter, 3nm O-III
Astrodon filter, 3nm S-II

Exposure times
H-alpha, 72 x 1200s = 24h
O-III, 42 x 1200s binned 4x4 = 14h
S-II, 33 x 1200s  binned 4x4 = 11h
Total 49h




Monday, March 9, 2015

The heart of the Heart nebula, melotte 15


A new photo from the night of  20. February and 6, March, Melotte 15 in the IC 1805, the Heart nebula.


Melotte 15
Click for a large image

Image is in mapped colors from an emission of  the ionized elements. Golden areas 
are from emission of sulfur and hydrogen, bluish hues are from ionized oxygen.


A closeup
Click for a large image



A closer closeup
Click for a large image



And even closer



INFO

The open cluster centered in this image is known as Melotte 15 . Melotte 15 is embedded within a central portion of the much larger glowing nebula identified as IC 1805. 

The interesting structure in the image is a giant area of  ionized hydrogen, it's caused to glow by the intense ultraviolet radiation from the massive stars of the Melotte 15 star cluster.
Dust and gas clouds are twisted by the pressure of the intense radiation, the solar wind.
This formation is estimated to be 7,500 light years away from Earth, North is up.


An experimental starless image 
Click for a large image

This experimental starless photo shows the object in light of an ionized hydrogen alone.


Image in visual colors

Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements, R=80%Hydrogen+20%Sulfur, G=100%Oxygen and B=85%Oxygen+15%Hydrogen to compensate otherwise missing H-beta emission. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.


Orientation in an older wide field image of the area

The Heart and Soul nebulae, IC 1848 and 1805, in constellation Cassiopeia. Area of interest is marked as a white rectangle.


Technical details

Processing workflow
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.

Imaging optics
Celestron Edge HD 1100 @ f7 with 0,7 focal reducer for Edge HD 1100 telescope

Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x2


Astrodon filter, 5nm H-alpha

Exposure times
H-alpha, 12 x 1200s = 4h
O-III and S-II channels are from an older wide field photo of this area.

A single un cropped, calibrated and stretched 20 min. H-alpha frame as it comes from the camera






Saturday, January 31, 2015

Cederblad 214 as an experimental 3D stereo pair


Images are for two different viewing methods, the first set of images is for the Parallel Vision method and the second set for the Cross Vision method. Viewing instructions can be seen HERE.

NOTE! This is a personal vision about forms and shapes, based on some scientific facts, deduction and an artistic impression. A short explanation, about the method used for the 3D conversion of my astrophoto, at the end of this post.

3D Soul Nebula as a freeview stereo pair

For a parallel viewing method

Nebula for the Parallel Vision viewing method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE


For a cross vision viewing method

Nebula for the Cross Vision viewing method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE


More 3D-experiments in my portfolio, including  the



A method used for the 3D conversion, a short explanation

All pillar like formations are pointing to a source of ionization, the open cluster NGC 7822. There are some more dense areas in a gas, able to resist the radiation pressure from young star cluster. Those dense areas, 
at a tip of the pillars, are also potential places for the formations of the new stars.

HOW?

I have been asked many times, how my 3D-images are done, so here it goes!

All the original 2D-images are imaged by me, if not otherwise stated.
Due the huge distances, no real parallax can be imaged for a volumetric information.

I have developed a method to turn any 2D-astronomical image to a various 3D-formats. The result is always an approximation of the reality, based on some known scientific facts, deduction and an artistic impression.

What are the known facts?

By using a scientifically estimated distance of the object, I can organize right amount of stars front and behind the object. (as then we know the absolute position of the object at our Milky-way)
Stars are divided to groups by apparent brightness, that can be used as a draft distance indicator, brighter the closer.  There is usually a known star cluster or a star(s) coursing the ionization and they can be placed in right relative position to the nebula itself .

Generally emission nebulae are not lit by the starlight directly but radiation from stars ionizing gases in the nebula. Hence the nebula itself is emitting its own light, at wavelength typical to each element. Due to that, and the thickness of the nebula can be estimated by its brightness, thicker = brighter. Nebulae are also more or less transparent, so we can see "both sides" at the same time.

Many other relative distances can be figured out just carefully studying the image, like dark nebulae must be front of bright ones. The local stellar wind, radiation pressure, from the star cluster, shapes the nebula, For that reason, pillar like formations must point to a cluster. ( Look previous image, above this text.) Same radiation pressure usually forms kind of cavitation, at the nebulosa, around the star cluster, by blowing away all the gas around the source of stellar wind. The ionized oxygen, O-III, emits blueish light, it requires lots of energy to ionize. Due to that, the blue glowing area locates usually near the source of ionization, at the heart of the nebula. This and many other small indicators can be found by carefully studying the image itself.

Using the known data, I can build a kind of skeleton model of the nebula. Then the artistic part is mixed to a scientific part, rest is very much like a sculpting.

WHY?

Firstly, they are great fun to do. Secondly, just because I can.

Many times images of nebulae looks like paintings on the canvas. I like to show a real nature of those distant objects as a three dimensional shapes floating in a three dimensional volume. This is a great way to show, how I personally see astronomical targets as a 3D-forms inside my head.

3D-experiments seems to increase a public interest to a subject, as you might have noticed.
I have studied my astronomical images much deeper, than ever without 3D-modeling.


3D-studies has really added a new dimension to my work as an astronomical photographer. (pun intended)